A stance represents the way a snowboarder stands on his/her snowboard that should be comfortable, natural and stable. The stance determines the way the bindings mount onto the snowboard according to personal preference. A snowboarder's stance is comprised of three variables: the angle of the left foot, the angle of the right foot and the distance between the feet. By determining a custom fit stance to reduce abnormal stresses on the knees and ankles, the rider may feel more comfort on the board before setting foot on the mountain.
Currently there is no means of designating a custom fit stance to a customer for his/her newly purchased or rented snowboard. The rental shop provides a board according to the customer's height, weight, and favored foot. The bindings are situated randomly, disregarding his/her lower physiology. Even when the customer buys a brand new board, the shops rarely set the board up for the customer's individual physiology. Rookie snowboarders are constantly sent out onto the slopes without any stance knowledge.
Everyone's lower physiology is different. Mathematically there are hundreds of thousands of ways to mount the bindings to the board. Even the different styles of boots and bindings can affect the users' stance. The snowboard market needs the convenience of a device that simulates the typical snowboard, yet is capable of manipulating the foot placement while the customer is on the device with his/her feet in a chosen set of bindings. The device must allow the user to adjust the binding stance according to the individual's comfort and stability on the board. The stance positioning must be easily measured quantitatively and transformed into dimensions that can be used to mount the bindings onto the board in the same position. Being able to adjust the angles of each individual foot and the width between the feet into a comfortable position will maximize the rider's performance and confidence while minimizing the loading on the joints, thus preventing injury.
Currently, U.S. Pat. No. 5,732,959 Soejima discloses a method for positioning bindings to be fitted to a snowboard and a device therefore. The device comprises a snowboard shaped base with a pair of binding mounting discs thereon. However we note that the device only provides for determining and adjusting the rotational or axial deviation. There is no provision for determining a longitudinal position (stance width) for the bindings. With regard to longitudinal spacing between left and right foot bindings on a snowboard, prior art teaches such adjustment when bindings are actually mounted onto the board not on a measuring device prior to actually mounting the bindings on the board.
The angles of the left and right feet are very important for mounting the bindings onto the snowboard. But the distance between the feet is essential for proper stance configuration. Soejima clearly overlooked this concept. Foot angulations will change if the distance between the feet changes. Foot angles are directly proportional to the angle between the upper legs (femur bones). As the angle between the femur bones increases, the stance width increases. The lower leg remains at a fixed position in relation to the respective femur, translating into the angular position of the respective foot. As the distance between the feet increases, there will be an increase in external (lateral/outward) rotation of both feet. Angle of the foot is dependant upon the rotation of the hip. The distance between the feet can range from roughly 15″ to 24″ so the foot angulations will change respectively. Soejima does not take into consideration that the angles of the left and right feet are a direct function of the distance between the feet.